Shinto Wedding Duration: A Guide To Traditional Japanese Nuptials

Shinto weddings are overseen by priests and often take place in hotels or special venues designed to accommodate weddings. The san-san-kudo ceremony is a key part of the Shinto wedding and involves exchanging cups of sacred wine three times and taking three sips each time.

Cost - Shinto weddings are affordable compared to Western-style ceremonies

Shinto weddings are affordable compared to Western-style ceremonies. A reasonably extravagant traditional Japanese-style wedding can be hosted with a budget ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 yen (~$250 to $850). However, if you opt for professional gagaku (traditional Japanese court music) performers, it will cost you an additional 30,000 to 50,000 yen ($250 to ~$400).

Many couples are drawn to Shinto-style weddings for the sacred ambiance and the unique atmosphere of the shrine, the preferred venue for the ceremony unless a hotel is chosen.

Food items, including salt, water, rice, sake, fruit, and vegetables, are left at a ceremonial wedding altar, which also holds the wedding rings. A Shinto priest stands to the right of the altar, while a shrine maiden, Miko, stands to the left. The couple will often stand in the center of the room, while closest family members stand behind tables containing sake and small fruits.

The priest will purify the shrine and call the attention of benevolent spirits, or kami. Then, the priest announces the beginning of the san-san-ku-do ceremony, or "three-three-nine-times", reflecting three oaths taken three times, represented by three cups, poured three times, and swallowed in three sips.

Venue - Shinto weddings take place in hotels or special venues

Shinto weddings are often held in hotels or special venues designed to accommodate weddings. Larger venues have started accommodating friends alongside family members during the wedding ceremony, a departure from the traditional practice constrained by space limitations.

Traditional Japanese Wedding Ceremony takes place at a Shinto Shrine where selecting an auspicious wedding date is of utmost importance. Many couples consult the Rokuyo calendar, a traditional six-day calendar that assigns each day a level of fortune. The most favorable day is Taian, meaning "great peace," which is highly sought after for weddings. On the other hand, Butsumetsu, the day Buddha died, is considered the most inauspicious and is generally avoided.

Food items, including salt, water, rice, sake, fruit, and vegetables, are left at a ceremonial wedding altar, which also holds the wedding rings. A Shinto priest stands to the right of the altar, while a shrine maiden, Miko, stands to the left. The couple will often stand in the center of the room, while closest family members stand behind tables containing sake and small fruits.

Wedding participants enter based on familial ties, with the groom's family seated to the right of the altar and the bride's to the left. The bride and groom are introduced by the shrine maiden. A Shinto priest purifies the bride, groom, and attendees before the ceremony officially begins. The priest reads a ritual prayer, seeking blessings and protection for the couple, followed by all attendees standing and bowing. The bride and groom exchange cups (in the order of increasing cup sizes) containing sacred wine. The cups are exchanged three times and the couple takes three sips each time. This procedure is called the “san-san-kudo 三々九度” (literally, three three nine, referring to the three sips from three cups, for a total of nine sips).

Rituals - The san-san-kudo ceremony involves exchanging cups of sacred wine

The san-san-kudo sake-sharing ritual is one of the earliest Japanese wedding ceremony traditions, dating back to the 1600s. It is a ritual that involves the exchange of sake, a traditional Japanese rice wine, between the bride and groom, symbolizing their union and the blending of their families. The san-san-kudo ritual consists of three sets of three sips, culminating in a total of nine sips.

The first set of sips represents three important human relationships: parent and child, friendship, and spousal relationship. The second set symbolizes three human flaws: passion, hatred, and ignorance. The final set of sips signifies three joys: freedom from the constraints of desire, jealousy, and arrogance.

The san-san-kudo ritual is religiously held in a Shinto shrine and is conducted by a Shinto priest. The bride and groom exchange cups (in the order of increasing cup sizes) containing sacred wine. The cups are exchanged three times and the couple takes three sips each time. This procedure is called the “san-san-kudo 三々九度,” literally, three three nine, referring to the three sips from three cups, for a total of nine sips.

Participation - Wedding participants enter based on familial ties

Shinto weddings are overseen by priests and often take place in hotels or special venues designed to accommodate weddings. As Japan's marriage rate declines, fewer Shinto weddings are being performed; the number has dropped from 90% of ceremonies to 50% since the 1990s.

Wedding participants enter based on familial ties, with the groom's family seated to the right of the altar and the bride's to the left. The bride and groom are introduced by the shrine maiden. A Shinto priest purifies the bride, groom, and attendees before the ceremony officially begins. The priest reads a ritual prayer, seeking blessings and protection for the couple, followed by all attendees standing and bowing.

The bride and groom exchange cups (in the order of increasing cup sizes) containing sacred wine. The cups are exchanged three times and the couple takes three sips each time. This procedure is called the “san-san-kudo 三々九度” (literally, three three nine, referring to the three sips from three cups, for a total of nine sips).

Food items, including salt, water, rice, sake, fruit, and vegetables, are left at a ceremonial wedding altar, which also holds the wedding rings. A Shinto priest stands to the right of the altar, while a shrine maiden, Miko, stands to the left. The couple will often stand in the center of the room, while closest family members stand behind tables containing sake and small fruits. The priest will purify the shrine and call the attention of benevolent spirits, or kami. Then, the priest announces the beginning of the san-san-ku-do ceremony, or "three-three-nine-times," reflecting three oaths taken three times, represented by three cups, poured three times, and swallowed in three sips.

Decline - The number of Shinto weddings has declined since the 1990s

The number of Shinto weddings has dropped from 90% to 50% since the 1990s. This decline is due to Japan's decreasing marriage rate.

Shinto weddings are overseen by priests and often take place in hotels or special venues designed for weddings. The ceremony is held in a shrine, which is the preferred venue unless a hotel is chosen.

Traditional Japanese weddings are affordable compared to Western-style ceremonies. A traditional Japanese wedding costs 30,000 to 100,000 yen (~$250 to $850). However, professional gagaku (traditional Japanese court music) performers entail an additional cost of 30,000 to 50,000 yen ($250 to ~$400).

Young couples are drawn to Shinto-style weddings for the sacred ambiance and the unique atmosphere of the shrine. Food items, including salt, water, rice, sake, fruit, and vegetables, are left at a ceremonial wedding altar, which also holds the wedding rings. A Shinto priest stands to the right of the altar, while a shrine maiden, Miko, stands to the left. The couple will often stand in the center of the room, while closest family members stand behind tables containing sake and small fruits.

Frequently asked questions